


use your hands in my spare time

by bringeverything



Series: November Ficlet Challenge 2013 [3]
Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Canon Compliant, M/M, Tattoos
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-07
Updated: 2014-01-07
Packaged: 2018-01-07 21:02:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,233
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1124350
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bringeverything/pseuds/bringeverything
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Zayn's been busy working on something, and Liam can't help but think that Zayn's avoiding him. No matter how much he tries to convince himself that he's overreacting.</p><p>OR </p><p>Liam feels lonely so Zayn gives him a tattoo</p>
            </blockquote>





	use your hands in my spare time

**Author's Note:**

> Day 3 of my tumblr ficlet challenge, for the gorgeous and hilarious Sam who gave me this prompt: they’re in the band and zayns been really quiet & pulling away from the group and not hanging out with liam as much and liams all ‘wtf??’ so he tries to find out whats up with zayn or something idk and then zayn surprises him with something (like a tattoo/painting/idek) and liams all ‘*blush*wow ily’ and zayns like ‘ily2’ or along those lines.  
> Title is from Sex by The 1975

Liam’s probably overreacting. In fact, he’s sure he’s overreacting. He’s kinda prone to overreacting. But… But the thing is, usually when he’s overreacting Harry will snort at him a lot and Louis will laugh and mock him and Niall will do some ridiculous impression of him while Zayn smiles fondly and runs a hand over his back to reassure him that they’re all just teasing. Except this time Zayn is sitting on the loveseat by the window, headphones in and sketchbook out, completely shutting himself off. Louis, meanwhile, has fallen backwards over the edge of the couch and is still cackling despite being upside down. Why the hell does he love these idiots so much?

He notices it a lot after that: Zayn has his music up loud and pencil in hand almost constantly now, not that it was all that unusual before. But he just seems to be engaging with Liam them less and less, and it’s bothering him. It shouldn’t because he loves how much Zayn gets into his art, and he knows their lives are full on and that they all need a break sometimes, and he knows that even though he loves these boys with everything he has, sometimes he just really needs to get away from them for a moment. And he knows Zayn gets all these things too. But he just misses Zayn a little bit, which is ridiculous because technically he hasn’t gone anywhere. So he’s trying very very hard not to mope.

“Liam you’re moping again!” Harry sing-songs, even though he’s intently watching Louis and Niall play FIFA and not paying attention to him at all. Which is just as well because he’s pretty sure he’s been staring at Zayn for long enough that it’s bordering on creepy.

“Am not. I’m entertaining my legion of followers.” Which technically he is. He’s running a #AskLiam on Twitter. It’s not their fault he’s half-assing it.

He manages to answer another few legitimate questions (he’s pretty sure he’ll never get used to girls proposing marriage, and the tweets about sexual fantasies involving way too many body parts to be comfortable are just disturbing) before getting distracted by Zayn again. He’s got his legs pulled up to his chest and is resting his sketchbook on his knees, folding himself almost perfectly in half, face hovering close to the page as he shades something in. Liam knows how gorgeous Zayn is, but he’s really grateful that this is a side of Zayn that the millions don’t get to see.

It’s not long before Zayn unfolds himself and gets up, mumbling a quiet ‘Night lads’ as he wanders off in the direction of his bunk. Liam catches him as he walks past him, grabbing onto his elbow for just a moment before Zayn pulls away.

“You okay man?” Liam tries not to cringe at the ridiculous amount of concern in his voice. There goes trying to be subtle.

“’m fine. Jus’ tired,” he mumbles with a smile that doesn’t reach his eyes. The click of the door behind him sounds very final.

Definitely overreacting.

***

It goes on for another four days, Zayn barely talking with anyone but especially Liam. Or at least it feels like that. Liam doesn’t like it. It’s also beginning to affect his performances- he’ll catch himself looking at Zayn as he belts out his verses, and he knows he gets that pathetic look on his face that’s a mix between worried and lonely, and even Niall’s shooting him worried glances as he bounces around the stage. It’s then that Liam decides he’s gotta do something.

He rigs it so he and Zayn are sharing at the hotel. Zayn is, as always, oblivious, just follows him in a zombie-like state, still without saying anything. Liam’s just come out of the shower, and Zayn’s waiting patiently on one of the beds waiting for his turn, and he decides it’s now or never.

“So why have you been ignoring me?”

Zayn looks up, and pulls the earbuds out. “What?”

“Why have you been ignoring me?” Liam’s voice breaks the tiniest bit. Fuck.

Zayn’s entire expression changes, from confusion to guilt maybe?

“I haven’t, I… It’s, um… Easier if I show you?” The sketchbook comes back out, and Liam almost resents it now, but he knows that this has got to be a pretty big deal if Zayn wants to show him. He’s incredibly private about his sketchbook, and the boys know not to give him a hard time about it. Louis’s the same in the studio.  
The pattern he shows him is long and thin, a series of interlinked crosses and swirls, some shaded darker than others.

“It’s for you. I thought it’s something you could get anywhere, wrap it to fit your collarbone or down your side or up your other arm. I just didn’t want you to see it before it was finished? But you don’t have to if you don’t want, it’s not like a…”

Liam shuts him up with a gentle kiss, lips pressing together lightly while Zayn keeps trying to talk.

“It’s perfect.”

***

It’s well after midnight and they’re in this tiny tattoo place in Minnesota. Or are they in Missouri now? The American dates all tend to blend together, every place looking pretty much the same because they never have time to go out and actually see the city. But where they are doesn’t really matter, the point is that Zayn has charmed the artist there into handing over his gun and has Liam laying on his back on the leather bench, shirt off and hands clasped loosely above his head. He feels pretty exposed even though Zayn’s the only one there, taking his time washing his hands.

It’s not long before Zayn’s back, moving to straddle Liam’s thighs with the gun in hand, resting the palm of his free hand on Liam’s chest. Liam’s heart rate picks up a bit, pants seeming just a tad too tight, and he’s not sure how he’s meant to focus on anything aside from how god-like Zayn looks sitting in his lap with concentration etched into his face. It takes a vast about of concentration on Liam’s part to not rock his hips up into Zayn’s and let him mark him up in a whole different way.

“’s like this okay?”

He lets out a shaky breath, but nods his head. More than okay really. Christ.

The first touch of the needle stings as ever, but Liam’s soft gasp is lost over the buzzing that fills the quiet room. Zayn’s free thumb starts rubbing back and forth over his other side, distracting him from the sharpness he’s inflicting down his left side, but it’s totally worth it. It seems to take forever, but also no time at all, and before he knows it, Zayn’s wiping off the last bit of blood and sitting back up.

Liam looks down, dark lines a stark contrast to his pale skin that’s now flushed and tender, trailing down over his ribs and stopping just before the cut of his hip. He can’t stop himself from reaching out to touch it, but Zayn quickly slaps his hand away, putting down the gun and picking up the protective wrap.

“It’s amazing. Thank you, I love it. Love you.” The awe in his voice is obvious. He doesn’t care.

Zayn ducks his head.

“Anytime.”

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted on [tumblr](http://hotwhiskeyes.tumblr.com/post/65879612799/day-3-of-my-november-ficlet-challenge-is-some-more):


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